Homage to Narcissa
by SusanMcMovies
Summary: Title is meant to be ironic given her name. It's the life story of Narcissa Malfoy from childhood up until the final battle's aftermath. It's about her relationships with her family and her inner conflict about choosing a side.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

When you have one sister who is a merciless terrorist, and another sister who seems uncommonly kind, where does that leave you? I'm not even the middle sister of our trio. Where does that leave me?

I'm Narcissa Black, 1 of 3 sisters. Narcissa, Bellatrix, and Andromeda. Bella is murderous by nature. Dromeda is the good one, the odd one. She really has no place in our family. And sometimes I think, I don't either.

Yes I do sometimes get irritated with Andromeda's tendencies. She loves and respects blood traitors and muggles. Why, I don't know. How in our long line of pure blood lineage, did she turn out that way? Our parents don't know what to do with her. My father once accused my mother of having an affair. He couldn't believe Andromeda was his. But there is no denying it. Bella and Dromeda look just like him. I don't. Maybe mother had an affair when she had me?

Growing up with two sisters who were as opposite as anyone could be, was difficult. Especially once we came into our magic. The day Bellatrix turned 7, she really began to make Andromeda's life a nightmare. Once I came into my own magic I was able to through subtle methods, protect my middle sister. At times when I agreed with Bellatrix's reasons for hurting her, I considered letting Andromeda fend for herself. But I couldn't help it sometimes. I always did it in an indirect way; I don't think my sisters ever knew of my involvement.

When Andromeda joined Bella at Hogwarts, things took a turn for the absolute worst. The sorting hat placed her in Ravenclaw. It had placed our cousin Sirius in Gryffindor. Our family was disgraced. Never had we been placed anywhere but Slytherin. If only they'd known what had occurred, when that same hat was placed on my head.

"I recognize your mind," said the Sorting hat. "I've seen it numerous times before, with your family and those minded like them. I'm assuming you want Slytherin?"

"Yes," I had said, surprised. "Why wouldn't I be in Slytherin?" I thought to myself.

"Why wouldn't you be in Slytherin?" the hat asked. It was reading my mind, how rude. "While you are very cunning, like most I place in that house, you have an air to you that isn't entirely befitting."

"You're wrong," I had thought indignantly.

"You think you know better than me?" it asked me. I had no response. Not a formed one anyway, the hat could obviously read every effort that was in my head. "I'm not saying there is another house better suited for you," it told me. "But I won't lie, you are difficult to place."

"Why?" I asked. Trying to peer under the hat's brim at the other first years watching me. "My entire family has been in Slytherin, why wouldn't I?"

He ended up placing me in Slytherin, because I asked him to. But before he made his verdict, he made sure to tell me that I could have benefited from Ravenclaw. My family might have preferred that to Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, but they'd never be truly proud of me if I weren't in Slytherin.

Like the protective sister I was, I wanted to stand behind Andromeda when our family showed their complete disdain for her housing. But the fear that our family would hate me as much as they hated her was too strong. I did not envy my middle sister in the slightest. I was glad it wasn't me.

With Bellatrix and I being in Slytherin, we hardly saw our sister. Bellatrix had entirely excused herself from Andromeda's life. Once Andromeda was done with school, I was sure our parents would do the same. I saw her from time to time. Had impromptu run-ins with her at Quidditch matches and by the lake. But she always seemed more interested in speaking to me than I to her. Not because I hated her. I never hated her. I just didn't know how to be around her. Who's side was I on? Hers, or our parents? I did have Bellatrix to contend with. She didn't approve of me consorting with our sister.

"She'll grow up to be one of them," Bella had said. "You know this!" She was referring to our sister becoming a blood traitor. We knew that Andromeda saw nothing wrong with muggles and mudbloods. She was likely to marry one of them. Despite her blood, she was more like them than she was like us. I could have adopted my family's hatred of her. But I couldn't. I loved both of my sisters, no matter what.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I met my husband whilst at Hogwarts. Lucius Malfoy. He was a prefect. Blonde and regal, he was of proper blood. I had always been tentative and shy around him. Despite his standing and looks, he was slightly terrifying. It was Bellatrix who had convinced me to give him a chance. A strange way to convince me, but she convinced me nonetheless.

"He wasn't my taste, but I think he'll do for you," she had told me. I knew she meant that she'd had her eye on him first, but had decided he wasn't good enough. Likely, they'd had a tryst. They might be likely to do it again sometime in the future. That should have changed my mind about him, but it didn't. I didn't want to be alone. Other than bad blood, there were other things my family didn't approve of. A daughter with no suitor to name one. Lucius wanted me, and I didn't want to be unwed. He courted me when we left Hogwarts. We married a few years later.

Bellatrix married Rodolphus Lestrange, another pure blood of course. How she deemed him better than Lucius I don't know. Both she and I made our family proud with our marriages. I couldn't say the same for Andromeda. She married Ted Tonks, a wizard who was muggle born.

"You are no longer my daughter!" my father Cygnus had bellowed when my sister came home with the news of her elopement. Father used his wand to shoot our sister's belongings out of her bedroom window. Our mother stood by silently, completely ashamed of her middle daughter. Bellatrix stood alongside my father, cheering him on and adding to his tirade. I stood by the stairs, peering out of our parlor. Dromeda caught my eye right before she left the house. No one but her new husband standing beside her was on her side.

"Please, Cissy," she had said, using the nickname she had coined for me. She begged me with her eyes for me to not turn my back on her. But I did. Again, the fear of our family turning on me like they did to her was too great. I feared Bellatrix would actually kill me because of it. Even for Andromeda, I couldn't risk loosing Lucius.

Andromeda and her mudblood husband had a daughter, with the dreadful name, Nymphadora. She was a metamorphmagus. I still had impromptu meetings with Dromeda after that. But now both of us never knew what to say to each other when those meetings occurred. I wasn't proud of what I did. But I did it to protect myself. I, my, me, it was all about me apparently. My name was Narcissa after all.

*I meant to put this note in the previous chapter. According to Harry Potter wiki (which I have been referencing because I want to stay true to the series as much as possible), Andromeda was in Slytherin. I placed her in Ravenclaw because given how different she is from her family, I think she should be in a different house. And in case you are wondering if this story will be more like the books or movies, it will be both. At least the parts of this story from the 6th and 7th books, will be more like the movies (the movies are an easier reference to check). Thank you for reading. More chapters to come, most of which will be short. –DD *


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Bellatrix went on to become one of Lord Voldemort's followers, along with her husband. Lucius joined as well. I wasn't an official member, but I stood beside my husband and sister. If I didn't, I may have been killed.

Because I wasn't as interesting or as sexual as Bellatrix, there were times that I knew my husband was loosing interest in me. But something soon kept him permanently tethered to me: finding me pregnant with his child.

Throughout the pregnancy, I prayed that we'd have a boy. If I gave him a son, then he definitely wouldn't leave me. Luckily my prayers were answered. In June of 1980, our son Draco was born. His father looked proudly on when he was presented his heir. But I realized something about my husband. Although I knew he did love us, our son more than me, it seemed that he saw us as two people who would "do just fine" in his world of acceptance.

Lucius bullied our son throughout most of his life. My protectiveness I once had for Andromeda was now being used on my son. I hated seeing my husband scold and berate our son. I once in outrage over Lucius hitting our son with his walking stick, asked him why he did such things.

"To make him grow up!" Lucius had said through his teeth. "To teach him how he must act with my name." It didn't matter that our son was pureblood. Lucius would still find things wrong with him. "He's weak," Lucius had said. Upon saying that, I heard footsteps running up the stone stairs. Draco had been listening.

When my son had been a baby, Bellatrix had been sent to Azkaban with her husband for life imprisonment. They had tortured two aurors. Another sister I had lost. Or so I thought. In Draco's 5th year of school, she broke out. That same year, Lucius was arrested, and sent to Azkaban. It completely destroyed Draco and I. And it caused one of my worst fears. As punishment for my husband's failure, he-who-must-not-be-named enlisted Draco.

At the too young age of 16, my son became a Death Eater, charged with the job of getting his fellow Death Eaters passed Hogwart's defenses. He was also charged with the even more difficult task of killing his headmaster, Dumbledore. He was supposed to do it alone. But I wouldn't allow that. Voldemort wasn't Draco's parent, I was.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Cissy!" Bellatrix had hissed after me as she followed me down a murky muggle alley through the rain. "You can't do this! He can't be trusted!"

"The Dark Lord trusts him," I reasoned.

"The Dark Lord is mistaken!" she argued. I scoffed. I wasn't looking for her advice. I was looking for someone elses. Severus Snape. Not only the potion master at Hogwarts, and apparently Draco's favorite teacher, but he was also the man trusted most by not only Voldemort, but Dumbledore as well.

Wormtail, a miserable oaf who's name fit him well, met us at the door. He escorted us into a dark and dank den where Snape was waiting. He offered us a drink and we sat in silence until I was ready to speak.

"I know I ought not to be here," I said to him. "The Dark Lord himself forbade me to speak of this."

"If the Dark Lord has forbidden it, you ought not to speak." Snape replied. He took his eyes off me briefly to reprimand my sister. "As it so happens, I am aware of your situation, Narcissa." he said, turning back to me.

"You?" Bella scoffed. "The Dark Lord told you?"

"Your sister doubts me?" Snape responded. The two of them glared at each other. "Understandable," he forgave. "Over the years I've played my part well. So well, I've deceived one of the greatest wizards of all time." Bellatrix rolled her eyes, but Snape went on to defend the headmaster.

"I don't doubt you, Severus," I told him.

"You should be honored, Cissy," Bellatrix said as she wandered about the room. "As should Draco." I briefly glanced at my sister, then back to Snape. Bella worshiped the Dark Lord too severely to ever understand how wrong this all was.

"He's just a boy," I tried to make them both see.

"I can't change the Dark Lord's mind," Snape told me. "But it might be possible for me to help Draco." I stood to thank him, but then Bellatrix interrupted my gratitude with a dare.

"Make the unbreakable vow," she whispered. My eyes never left Snape's. "It's just empty words," my sister reasoned. She was right. If Snape could fool Dumbledore, he could probably fool me. Before Bella could continue to fill my head with paranoia, Snape cut her off. He bravely agreed. We all knew what would happen if he went back on his word.

He and I stood in the light by the window, hands locked to each other's wrists and our eyes locked on each other. Bella acted as the binder. Her wand exuded a golden rope of light, and it twisted around our joined hands. She made him promise to help my son to the best of his ability, as he'd already promised. But, she then added a new condition that I never would have considered.

"And, if Draco should fail," she said. "Will you yourself…carry out…the deed." For a moment the only sounds came from the magic in the air, and our breathing. My eyes watered at the enormity that my sister was suggesting. The rope was getting ready to fade. I waited in anticipation of his response.

"I will," he finally responded. His expression hardly flickered.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Before Draco returned to school, he was officially presented his mission. I stood by him while he motionlessly examined the vanishing cabinet. I knew he wasn't ready for this. I could see it in his face. But he had no choice. He was doing this to save his life, and I knew he secretly wanted to make his father proud.

Over the year, as Draco worked on fixing the Hogwarts' vanishing cabinet, he made many attempts to destroy Dumbledore. To give him help in any way I could, I fed him suggestions. He had fought Snape's interference every step of the way, but mine he welcomed. But the cursed necklace from Borgin and Burkes and the poisoned mead were both intercepted. Eventually, it seemed Draco's only option, was to curse Dumbledore with his wand. How he was ever going to corner Dumbledore alone was impossible to say. I didn't know Dumbledore's ways. Snape would, if only Draco would accept his help.

I met my son in Hogsmeade near the Hogs Head one day after his failed attempts. We had met there other times while we'd been trying other methods to kill Dumbledore. I had nothing else to offer him, other than the reminder of what Snape promised.

"I don't want to listen to him!" my son had said through his teeth, fighting back tears. He was angry that I couldn't help him further. "He's not father!"

"He's your best chance," I told him, reaching for his hand.

"No!" Draco growled, slapping my hand away and turning from me. "This is my task." Arguing with him more would do no good. He was his father's son. But I couldn't stand to see him in so much anguish.

"Focus on the cabinet," I told him. "It's more important." If Draco truly had no way of killing his headmaster, the vow would make Snape step in. In truth, I had always wanted it to be Snape. I didn't want my son to be a killer.

In the end, it was Snape. Draco had found a way to get Dumbledore alone. And he had almost succeeded in killing him. But in the end, Snape did it. And I was ever so grateful.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

After the death of Dumbledore, came more triumphs for you-know-who's cause. Lucius escaped Azkaban, we infiltrated the ministry, and the Potter boy took the Dark Lord's place as undesirable number one. There was really only one mission left: capture Harry Potter so Voldemort could kill him. Apparently it had to be that way. No one else could kill him. I was fine with that. Many of the death eaters offered up their services to commit the murder, but the Dark Lord refused. My sister was the most willing, but she was the only one in my family to oblige.

While I tried to protect my son by making him complete his final year at Hogwarts, my husband and sister and the rest of the death eaters were trying to find Potter. He had gone on the run. Snatchers, a brute squad of Death Eaters were dispatched all over to find Potter, and people of lesser blood statuses. There came a time where the Dark Lord's name became a taboo. Anyone who said it would be focused on and either killed or captured. Potter was apparently one of the few people who were brave enough to say the Dark Lord's name. It eventually worked it's magic on him.

Someone who greatly resembled Potter and two accomplices were brought to our manor one night. Draco was home from school on a holiday. He'd be best at identifying the boy. But Draco gave no verdict. The mysterious swelling of Potter's face distracted him. According to the mudblood Granger's wand, he'd been hit with a stinging jinx. It seemed to my sister that the girl would be the best person to interrogate. She ordered me to send Potter and the Weasley boy to the dungeon. When I came back, Bella was doing what she did best: torturing.

As I watched my sister massacre my son's classmate, I was taken aback at the surprise attack from Potter and Weasley. They'd somehow broken out of the cellar. The red head disarmed Bellatrix with a wand I recognized as Wormtail's. The oaf had been taken down by unarmed children.

Lucius was taken out first; Draco and I fought the boys. Bella stepped in by holding the Granger girl hostage. Potter and Weasley backed off, their noble tendencies handicapped them. Lucius recovered, and prepared to call the Dark Lord. But a shocking noise stopped us all in our tracks. I followed my sister's glance and saw a surprising sight: our old house elf dismantling our chandelier.

We all dodged the falling death trap, but the distraction caused us all our wands. I was disarmed by the house elf. I was too stunned to be offended. I was completely speechless. Dobby had served us for years; he'd been loyal to us once. Or so I had thought.

"How dare you take a witch's wand!" Bella scolded. She knew exactly who this house elf was. "How dare you defy your masters!"

"Dobby has no master," he squeaked defiantly. "Dobby is a free elf. And Dobby has come to save Harry Potter, and his friends!" Although my eyes never left Dobby and his huddle of, "friends," I could see my sister's knife fly through the room. It met the wall just in time to apparate with them. Likely, it hit one of them. I had an idea which one.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Being taken down by Potter and his friends angered the Dark Lord. It became worse when we found out that they had broken into my sister's vault at Gringotts. It seemed Granger had gotten a hold of some of Bella's DNA, and had posed as her to get inside. Bellatrix's fury almost matched Voldemort's. Many were punished; I stood with my husband and my son while we fearfully watched the Dark Lord torture the goblins and guards. As Voldemort walked over everyone, he had a conversation with his snake in parseltongue. I tensed when the snake slithered past me. I'd seen what that creature could do. As I shuddered at what the future held, I saw the sword of Gyffindor fade from the dead Griphook's grasp.

Another chance at catching Harry Potter had slipped away. But things changed when Potter did something that if I were him I wouldn't dare to do. He apparated into Hogsmeade. It was then that the Dark Lord summoned all the men and women in at his disposal and we went to war.

"Stay here," I had told Draco when we heard the news of Potter's appearance. Draco didn't respond, he didn't argue. I didn't want to lose him, and I knew there would be a chance I would if he fought. Being that this could be the last time I saw my son, I gave him a meaningful goodbye. As meaningful as I could, what with my husband yanking me from my son's arms. He told our son that the Dark Lord required him to be there. Without another word he took me in side along apparition.

"He'll die!" I hissed at Lucius when re arrived on the outskirts of Hogwarts.

"He'll be fine," Bellatrix said, giving me the assurance I wanted to hear from my husband. But from her it wasn't out of care for me, it was purely her arrogance. I knew my sister would enjoy killing many tonight. She honestly felt the other side didn't have a chance. My plan was to stay as out of the way as possible, as much as the Dark Lord would let me get away with. Which I knew wouldn't be much.

I soon found out that a selection of death eaters would be staying at the Dark Lord's side during the battle. My husband and I were among them. Bellatrix was meant to stay out, but she wasn't going to miss out on the, "fun."

We took protection in the nook of the woods that homed the acromantulas. Odd place to feel safe I thought. But the Dark Lord had forced them out, and in retreat they'd joined the battle.

When Voldemort grew restless, he invaded the minds of all the death eaters and Dumbledore's Army to tell them to stand down. He wanted his followers to retreat to the acromantula haven. He said he was giving the other side time to gather their dead. And he added a threat. If Potter didn't come to our camp alone, the killing would continue.

We waited in silence. The death eaters that had been fighting returned quickly. I could see my sister dancing merrily through the woods, celebrating in a singsong fashion. She flounced over to me with a grin that was always a result of a killing or torture she committed.

"I killed her little girl!" Bella said cruelly.

"Whose little girl?" I asked her. She continued to smile and giggle evilly through her teeth.

"Dromeda's," she finally said. My breath hitched. My surprise only made Bella happier. "The blood traitor's girl is dead!" she sang. I knew she'd been saying the same thing in the woods. My sister had killed our sister's daughter. My thoughts immediately went to Andromeda. We'd hurt her again, more than we ever had. How could she possibly forgive us this time?


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Potter finally came forth. We were giving up hope; Voldemort was prepared to continue the fight. But then he arrived. The Dark Lord didn't waste much time. In a blink of an eye, Potter was splayed on the ground. But so was Voldemort. The Dark Lord took time to recover. My sister ran to him in order to aid him. She was so devoted, more so than any of his followers. He brushed her off, he didn't want her help.

The Dark Lord asked someone to go examine the boy. He wouldn't do it himself. He had followers for that. I for some reason stepped forward. I went over to the dead Harry Potter, and felt for a heartbeat. I doubted there would be one. It was the killing curse after all.

I found one.

I checked his eye, he had active pupils. Some how, the killing curse hadn't worked. I didn't bother marveling at it. There was something I had to know. I knew there was a chance that Potter would know. I bent over him further, my mouth close to his face.

"Is Draco alive? Is he in the castle?" I asked him in a whisper. I watched him closely. Suddenly the immobile young man answered me as subtle and as quiet as possible. He mouthed, 'yes.'

When I marched with the other death eaters to the school with the half giant carrying Potter's body, I thought I knew what was going to happen next. Voldemort was going to insult the other side even further by asking for recruits. I saw my son in the crowd, Potter had told the truth about him. But Draco didn't look like he would be moving from his spot.

"Draco," I called to him. Why was he standing with the other side? "Come." And he did, sheepishly. He was terrified. And he had good reason. As he was coming over to us, the Dark Lord embraced him. I flinched, as did my son and Lucius. Draco came to the side of me, I took his hand.

A buffoon looking boy, the son of the aurors that had caused my sister to be sent to Azkaban, made a speech. It was all about how their side really hadn't lost. Our side laughed and smirked at his idiotic monologue. But then a secret that only I knew, revealed itself. Potter leaped out of the giant's hands. Everyone now knew he was alive. The battle began again.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

As both sides waged war against each other once again, I lead my family away. I knew my sister wouldn't follow. She'd rather die than give up. And she did. As I write this, it has been a month since my eldest sister was killed. Molly Weasely murdered her: the housewife with more children than she could feed. It was an insult to Bella's legacy. Our parents would be ashamed if they were still alive today. Despite how terrible she was I do miss her. But I still have one more sister. And I knew it was high time I had a real meeting with her.

I apparated in front of a muggle home in the country. I realized it was risky, but no one was in view. Draco had stayed home. He had no desire to visit the Aunt he hardly knew. Lucius wanted nothing to do with this. Dromeda knew I was coming, I'd sent her an owl. I had expected her to say no, but she didn't.

"Hello, Cissy," My living sister said to me. I saw that she was working in a flower and vegetable garden. There was an infant lying on a quilt on the grass beside her. His hair was lime green. "This is Teddy," she told me, gesturing with her small shovel toward the baby boy. Other than my own son, I'd never been one to socialize with small children. But I did look at him. He was beguiling.

"I don't know where to begin," I finally said. "After all that has happened."

"I don't know either," she said. Not remotely rude, but in equal agreement. She somehow bore me no ill will. I don't understand how she could have that ability.

"I want to apologize," I said. "But there's just so much."

"I understand, sister," she told me. "There's no need. I only ask one thing of you."

"What's that?" I asked her. If I was her, and all this had happened to me, I wouldn't be this friendly.

"Kill that spider please?" she requested, startling me. I saw the palm sized terror she was referring to. "As much as I love nature, those things scare me."

I chuckled, and crushed it with my foot. Of course she would be silly. Of course she would be nice. She was the good one. The odd one. Uncommonly kind. But now that everyone who had terrified me was gone, I wasn't afraid to truly be her sister. I ended up sitting down on the quilt. I tickled young Teddy's foot, and watched my middle sister tend to her garden. We didn't seem to need to talk. This was the kind of sister relationship I'd always wanted. This was a calm life I'd always dreamed of. I didn't feel like I was caught in the middle between my very opposite sisters. I was one with Andromeda. There was no one alive who scared me.


End file.
